Novel players in organogenesis and flavonoid biosynthesis in cucumber glandular trichomes.

Glandular trichomes (GTs) are outgrowths of plant epidermal cells that secrete and store specialized secondary metabolites that protect plants against biotic and abiotic stresses and have economic importance for human use. While extensive work has been done to understand the molecular mechanisms of trichome organogenesis in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), which forms unicellular, nonglandular trichomes (NGTs), little is known about the mechanisms of GT development or regulation of secondary metabolites in plants with multicellular GTs. Here, we identified and functionally characterized genes associated with GT organogenesis and secondary metabolism in GTs of cucumber (Cucumis sativus). We developed a method for effective separation and isolation of cucumber GTs and NGTs. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses showed that flavonoid accumulation in cucumber GTs is positively associated with increased expression of related biosynthesis genes. We identified 67 GT development-related genes, the functions of 7 of which were validated by virus-induced gene silencing. We further validated the role of cucumber ECERIFERUM1 (CsCER1) in GT organogenesis by overexpression and RNA interference transgenic approaches. We further show that the transcription factor TINY BRANCHED HAIR (CsTBH) serves as a central regulator of flavonoid biosynthesis in cucumber GTs. Work from this study provides insight into the development of secondary metabolite biosynthesis in multicellular GTs.

Identification and Functional Characterization of CsMYCs in Cucumber Glandular Trichome Development.

Glandular trichomes (GTs), specialized structures formed by the differentiation of plant epidermal cells, are known to play important roles in the resistance of plants to external biotic and abiotic stresses. These structures are capable of storing and secreting secondary metabolites, which often have important agricultural and medicinal values. In order to better understand the molecular developmental mechanisms of GTs, studies have been conducted in a variety of crops, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), sweetworm (Artemisia annua), and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). The MYC transcription factor of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor family has been found to play an important role in GT development. In this study, a total of 13 cucumber MYC transcription factors were identified in the cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) genome. After performing phylogenetic analyses and conserved motifs on the 13 CsMYCs in comparison to previously reported MYC transcription factors that regulate trichome development, seven candidate MYC transcription factors were selected. Through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), CsMYC2 is found to negatively regulate GT formation while CsMYC4, CsMYC5, CsMYC6, CsMYC7, and CsMYC8 are found to positively regulate GT formation. Furthermore, the two master effector genes, CsMYC2 and CsMYC7, are observed to have similar expression patterns indicating that they co-regulate the balance of GT development in an antagonistic way.

Optical analysis of a multi-aperture solar central receiver system for high-temperature concentrating solar applications.

A multi-aperture solar central receiver system is optically analyzed for increasing the net power to the receiver in a wide temperature range of 600-1800 K. A model system comprises a tower, a multi-aperture receiver with compound parabolic concentrators, and heliostat sub-fields. Optical modeling is performed using in-house developed Monte-Carlo ray-tracing programs. The heliostat sub-field geometrical configuration, the number of receiver apertures and optical properties of reflective surfaces are varied in the parametric study. Increasing the number of apertures from one to four increases the maximum net receiver power from 116 MW to 332 MW. The use of more than four apertures results in only limited further gain of the net receiver power but significantly decreases the overall optical efficiency and the solar-to-thermal efficiency. The optimal temperature for the maximized annual solar-to-exergy efficiency is found in the range of 1100-1200 K. This optimal temperature decreases slightly with an increasing number of apertures.

Killing Streptococcus mutans in mature biofilm with a combination of antimicrobial and antibiofilm peptides.

Biofilm poses a serious challenge for the treatment of bacterial infections, as it endows bacteria a pronounced resistance to traditional antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered potential substitutes for antibiotics. Combinational use of AMPs with other compounds to exert antibiofilm effects has been proved to be an effective means to reduce their toxicity and maximize their antimicrobial activity. However, the combination of various AMPs with different action mechanisms is rarely investigated. A newly designed lytic AMP ZXR-2.3 combined with antibiofilm peptide IDR-1018 or KT2 was tested for the antibiofilm effect on mature Streptococcus mutans biofilms. In general, the combination of ZXR-2.3 + IDR-1018 displayed synergistic effect on both biofilm eradication and bacterial killing, while ZXR-2.3 + KT2 showed no obvious synergism. The confocal images of preformed S. mutans biofilms confirmed the effective bactericidal activity of ZXR-2.3 + IDR-1018. A tube system was applied to investigate the biofilm infection under a flow of medium and SEM images indicated the biofilm disruption and bacterial killing effects of ZXR-2.3 + IDR-1018. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that IDR-1018 induced dramatic changes in the mRNA expressions of the quorum sensing (QS) related genes comC, comD, vicR, and vicK of S. mutans in mature biofilms, whereas the other peptides and ciprofloxacin did not cause obvious changes in these genes. This might explain the better synergism of ZXR-2.3 and IDR-1018. The results of this study provide a potential application using the combination of different AMPs in the treatment of mature biofilm infection.

A bibliometric evaluation and visualization of global solar power generation research: productivity, contributors and hot topics.

The demand for sustainable energy is increasingly urgent to mitigate global warming which has been exacerbated by the extensive use of fossil fuels. Solar energy has attracted global attention as a crucial renewable resource. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis based on publication metrics from the Web of Science database to gain insights into global solar power research. The results indicate a stable global increase in publications on solar power generation and a rise in citations, reflecting growing academic interest. Leading contributors include China, the USA, South Korea, Japan, and India, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences emerging as the most prolific institution. Multidisciplinary Materials Science, Applied Physics, Energy and Fuels, Physical Chemistry, and Nanoscience and Nanotechnology were the most used and promising subject categories. Current hot topics include the systematic analysis of photovoltaic systems, perovskite as a solar cell material, and focusing on stability and flexibility issues arising during photovoltaic-grid integration. This study facilitates a comprehensive understanding of the status and trends in solar power research for researchers, stakeholders, and policy-makers.

Diagnosing Solid Lesions in the Pancreas With Multimodal Artificial Intelligence: A Randomized Crossover Trial.

Importance: Diagnosing solid lesions in the pancreas via endoscopic ultrasonographic (EUS) images is challenging. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to help with such diagnosis, but existing AI models focus solely on a single modality. Objective: To advance the clinical diagnosis of solid lesions in the pancreas through developing a multimodal AI model integrating both clinical information and EUS images. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this randomized crossover trial conducted from January 1 to June 30, 2023, from 4 centers across China, 12 endoscopists of varying levels of expertise were randomly assigned to diagnose solid lesions in the pancreas with or without AI assistance. Endoscopic ultrasonographic images and clinical information of 439 patients from 1 institution who had solid lesions in the pancreas between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2022, were collected to train and validate the joint-AI model, while 189 patients from 3 external institutions were used to evaluate the robustness and generalizability of the model. Intervention: Conventional or AI-assisted diagnosis of solid lesions in the pancreas. Main Outcomes and Measures: In the retrospective dataset, the performance of the joint-AI model was evaluated internally and externally. In the prospective dataset, diagnostic performance of the endoscopists with or without the AI assistance was compared. Results: The retrospective dataset included 628 patients (400 men [63.7%]; mean [SD] age, 57.7 [27.4] years) who underwent EUS procedures. A total of 130 patients (81 men [62.3%]; mean [SD] age, 58.4 [11.7] years) were prospectively recruited for the crossover trial. The area under the curve of the joint-AI model ranged from 0.996 (95% CI, 0.993-0.998) in the internal test dataset to 0.955 (95% CI, 0.940-0.968), 0.924 (95% CI, 0.888-0.955), and 0.976 (95% CI, 0.942-0.995) in the 3 external test datasets, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of novice endoscopists was significantly enhanced with AI assistance (0.69 [95% CI, 0.61-0.76] vs 0.90 [95% CI, 0.83-0.94]; P < .001), and the supplementary interpretability information alleviated the skepticism of the experienced endoscopists. Conclusions and Relevance: In this randomized crossover trial of diagnosing solid lesions in the pancreas with or without AI assistance, the joint-AI model demonstrated positive human-AI interaction, which suggested its potential to facilitate a clinical diagnosis. Nevertheless, future randomized clinical trials are warranted. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05476978.

Serum salusin-α levels are inversely correlated with the presence and severity of coronary artery disease.

We sought to measure serum salusin-α levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and to assess their correlation with the severity of the disease. We enrolled 172 patients with CAD and 91 controls. We assessed the angiographic severity of CAD by coronary atherosclerosis index (CAI) and detected serum salusin-α levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We demonstrated that CAD patients had significantly lower serum salusin-α levels compared to controls. Moreover, serum salusin-α levels were independently and negatively correlated with the presence and severity of CAD. These findings indicated that salusin-α might serve as a potential biomarker for predicting the development and progression of CAD.

Potential of grid-connected decentralized rooftop PV systems in Sweden.

Solar power generation in Sweden is far from required capacity to help with transition towards 100% renewables in the power sector by 2040. Decentralized PV system attracts attentions given the conflicts of future increasing demands and land scarcity in the urban areas. However, it is not easy to implement it due to challenges on local conditions and lack of references. This paper aims to propose an overview of the potential of small-scale grid-connected PV systems in a Swedish context and offer an example for urban PV system planning in Sweden or high latitude areas. A model considering weather, space, infrastructures and economics is developed and implemented with a real case in the Swedish context. The findings verify the technical and economic feasibility of urban decentralized rooftop PV systems in the Swedish context. It is found that this kind of system does have considerable power potential in the Swedish context without land requirements. This kind of PV system could be a promising option for future power generation which satisfies part of demands and reduces pressure on external grids. The full potential could be only achieved with improved infrastructures, and the profitability of the system relies heavily on market and political conditions. This study can be a refence for other high latitude areas.

Adenosine deaminase-based measurement in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion: a multicenter retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: The differential diagnosis of pleural effusion is difficult, and studies have reported on the potential role of adenosine deaminase (ADA) in the differential diagnosis of undiagnosed pleural effusion. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the diagnostic role of ADA in pleural effusion. METHODS: 266 patients with pleural effusion from three centers were enrolled. The concentrations of ADA and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured in pleural fluids and serum samples of the patients. The diagnostic performance of ADA-based measurement for tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE), malignant pleural effusion (MPE), and parapneumonic effusion (PPE) was examined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: An area under the ROC curve (AUC) value of 0.909 was obtained using the pleural ADA values as the indicator for TPE identification (sensitivity: 87.50%, specificity: 87.82%). The ratio of serum LDH to pleural ADA (cancer ratio) provided the predictive capacity with an AUC of 0.879 for MPE diagnosis (sensitivity: 95.04%, specificity: 67.06%). At a cut-off value of 14.29, the pleural ADA/LDH ratio showed a sensitivity and specificity of 81.13% and 83.67%, respectively, and a high AUC value of 0.888 for the differential diagnosis of PPE from TPE. CONCLUSION: ADA-based measurement is helpful for the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion. Further studies should be performed to validate these results.

Neuroprotective effects of morroniside from Cornus officinalis sieb. Et zucc against Parkinson's disease via inhibiting oxidative stress and ferroptosis.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenera-tive disorder after Alzheimer disease accompanied by the death of dopaminergic neurons and brain nigrostriatal mitochondrial damage in the elderly population. The features of the disease include tremor, rigidity, postural instability, and motor retardation. The pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease is complex, and abnormal lipid metabolism resulting in ferroptosis due to the excessive accumulation of free radicals from oxidative stress in the substantia nigra of the brain was thought to be one of the factors causing the disease. Morroniside has been reported to have significant neuroprotective effects, although it has not been studied in PD. Therefore, this study focused on determining the neuroprotective effects of morroniside (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) on 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP, 30 mg/kg)-induced mice models of PD and explored 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium MPP+-induced ferroptosis in PC12 cells. Morroniside restored impaired motor function in the PD mice models while reducing neuronal injury. The activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/antioxidant response elements (Nrf2/ARE) by morroniside promoted antioxidation, the content of reducing agent glutathione (GSH) increased, and the level of the lipid metabolite malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased. Notably, morroniside inhibited ferroptosis in substantia nigra of the brain and PC12 cells, reduced iron levels, and upregulated the expression of the iron-regulated proteins glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH-1), and ferroportin (FPN). More importantly, morroniside repaired the mitochondrial damage, restored the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and inhibited the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These data indicated that morroniside could activate the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway to increase the antioxidant capacity, thereby inhibiting abnormal lipid metabolism and protecting dopaminergic neurons from ferroptosis in PD.

Endoscopic ultrasound diagnosis system based on deep learning in images capture and segmentation training of solid pancreatic masses.

BACKGROUND: Early detection of solid pancreatic masses through contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound (CH-EUS) is important. But CH-EUS is difficult to learn. PURPOSE: To design a deep learning-based CH-EUS diagnosis system (CH-EUS MASTER) for real-time capture and segmentation of solid pancreatic masses and to verify its value in the training of pancreatic mass identification under endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). METHODS: We designed a real-time capture and segmentation model for solid pancreatic masses and then collected 4530 EUS images of pancreatic masses retrospectively, used for training and testing of this model at a ratio of 8:2. The model is loaded into the EUS host computer to establish the CH-EUS MASTER system. A crossover trial was then conducted to evaluate the model's value in EUS trainee training by successfully conducting two groups of EUS trainees in model learning and trainer-guided training. The intersection over union (IoU) and the time to find the lesion were used to evaluate the model performance metrics, and the Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the IoU and the time to find the lesion in different groups of subjects. Paired t-test was used to compare the effects before and after training. When α ≤ 0.05, it is considered to have a significant statistical difference. RESULTS: The model test showed that the model successfully captured and segmented the pancreatic solid mass region in 906 EUS images. The real-time capture and segmentation model had a Dice coefficient of 0.763, a recall rate of 0.941, a precision rate of 0.642, and an accuracy of 0.842 (when the threshold is set to 0.5), and the median IoU of all cases was 0.731. For the AI training effect, the average IoU of eight trainees improved from 0.80 to 0.87 (95% CI, 0.032-0.096; p = 0.002). The average time for identifying lesions in the pancreatic body and tail improved from 22.75 to 17.98 s (95% CI, 3.664-5.886; p < 0.01). The average time for identifying lesions in the pancreatic head and uncinate process improved from 34.21 to 25.92 s (95% CI, 7.661-8.913; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: CH-EUS MASTER can provide an effect equivalent to trainer guidance in training pancreatic solid mass identification and segmentation under EUS.

Contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound (CH-EUS) MASTER: A novel deep learning-based system in pancreatic mass diagnosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Distinguishing pancreatic cancer from nonneoplastic masses is critical and remains a clinical challenge. The study aims to construct a deep learning-based artificial intelligence system to facilitate pancreatic mass diagnosis, and to guide EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) in real time. METHODS: This is a prospective study. The CH-EUS MASTER system is composed of Model 1 (real-time capture and segmentation) and Model 2 (benign and malignant identification). It was developed using deep convolutional neural networks and Random Forest algorithm. Patients with pancreatic masses undergoing CH-EUS examinations followed by EUS-FNA were recruited. All patients underwent CH-EUS and were diagnosed both by endoscopists and CH-EUS MASTER. After diagnosis, they were randomly assigned to undergo EUS-FNA with or without CH-EUS MASTER guidance. RESULTS: Compared with manual labeling by experts, the average overlap rate of Model 1 was 0.708. In the independent CH-EUS video testing set, Model 2 generated an accuracy of 88.9% in identifying malignant tumors. In clinical trial, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for diagnosing pancreatic masses by CH-EUS MASTER were significantly better than that of endoscopists. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were respectively 93.8%, 90.9%, 100%, 100%, and 83.3% by CH-EUS MASTER guided EUS-FNA, and were not significantly different compared to the control group. CH-EUS MASTER-guided EUS-FNA significantly improved the first-pass diagnostic yield. CONCLUSION: CH-EUS MASTER is a promising artificial intelligence system diagnosing malignant and benign pancreatic masses and may guide FNA in real time. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04607720.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase could be a promising target in lung cancer therapy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PIK3CA) gene amplification in lung cancer, and to explore its prognostic value. METHODS: A total of 647 lung tumor samples from 290 patients were included in the study. The ratio of PIK3CA signals/centromere 3 signals in cancer cells was estimated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH7rpar; analysis. RESULTS: Both gains and amplifications were significantly more frequent in squamous cell (gains: 19.4%; amplifications: 34.1%; p<0.0001) and large cell carcinoma (gains: 22.4%; amplifications: 20.4%; p<0.0001) compared with adenocarcinomas (gains 3.0%; amplifications: 4.0%). Conversely, adenocarcinomas displayed significantly more frequent deletions of the PIK3CA locus than the other two histologic types (p<0.0001). No clear correlation between PIK-3CA status and the pT stage, pN stage or the degree of tumor differentiation was found. Ki67 significantly increased with increasing of PIK3CA copy number: 47 tumors with a PIK-3CA deletion had a mean Ki67 of 16, while 103 tumors with PIK3CA amplification showed a mean Ki67 of 28 (p=0.004). Significant association between cell proliferation and PIK-3CA was found (p<0.05). However, no significant correlation was seen between patient survival and PIK3CA amplifications, deletions and gains. CONCLUSION: PIK3CA amplifications in large cell and squamous cell carcinomas were significantly higher compared with adenocarcinomas. The results suggest that PIK-3CA could be a promising target for selective lung cancer therapy.

Hydrodynamics and mass transfer of concentric-tube internal loop airlift reactors: A review.

The concentric-tube internal loop airlift reactor is a typical reactor configuration which has been adopted for a myriad of chemical and biological processes. The reactor hydrodynamics (including mixing) and the mass transfer between the gas and liquid phases remarkably affect the operational conditions and thus are crucial to the overall reactor performance. Hence, this study aims at providing a thorough description of the basic concepts and a comprehensive review of the relevant reported studies on the hydrodynamics and mass transfer of the concentric-tube internal loop airlift reactors, taking microalgae cultivation as an exemplary application. In particular, the reactor characteristics, geometry, CFD modeling, experimental characterization, and scale up considerations are elucidated. The research gaps for future research and development are also identified.

Long Non-Coding RNAs in Pancreatic Cancer: Biologic Functions, Mechanisms, and Clinical Significance.

Despite tremendous efforts devoted to research in pancreatic cancer (PC), the mechanism underlying the tumorigenesis and progression of PC is still not completely clear. Additionally, ideal biomarkers and satisfactory therapeutic strategies for clinical application in PC are still lacking. Accumulating evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) might participate in the pathogenesis of diverse cancers, including PC. The abnormal expression of lncRNAs in PC is considered a vital factor during tumorigenesis that affects tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance. With this review of relevant articles published in recent years, we aimed to summarize the biogenesis mechanism, classifications, and modes of action of lncRNAs and to review the functions and mechanisms of lncRNAs in PC. Additionally, the clinical significance of lncRNAs in PC was discussed. Finally, we pointed out the questions remaining from recent studies and anticipated that further investigations would address these gaps in knowledge in this field.

Self-assembling branched amphiphilic peptides for targeted delivery of small molecule anticancer drugs.

Water insolubility poses a significant challenge in the clinical applications of many small molecule drugs. To improve the drug delivery efficiency, two branched amphiphilic peptides (BAPs) were designed in a computer-aided manner, for drug-loading through peptide self-assembling. The structures of the two BAPs, bis(LVFFA)-K-RGD (PepV-1) and bis(FHF)-K-RGD (PepV-2), were inspired by phospholipids, containing the RGD sequence as the hydrophilic head and two hydrophobic sequences as the hydrophobic tails. PepV-1 could self-assemble into nano-fibrils with a hydrophobic core and the RGD moiety on the surface. Its drug-loading efficiency (DE%) of three small molecule anticancer drugs (doxorubicin, camptothecin and curcumin) ranged from 9.90% to 11.74%, and entrapment efficiency (EE%) ranged from 37.30% to 43.00%. Pep-V2 could self-assemble into bilayer delimited nano-vesicles. The DE% of PepV-2 for these drugs ranged from 15.87% to 18.55%, and the EE% ranged from 60.45% to 73.23%. Both BAP carriers could prolong the release of the small molecule drugs, and the PepV-2 vesicles also showed pH-triggered increase of drug release due to the histidine residues. Bothe BAP carriers could increase the cytotoxicity against cancer cells, which might be due to the targeting on the cancer overexpressed integrins. The designed BAP carriers represent promising functional drug carriers for targeted drug delivery, and will be useful for improving the clinical use of small molecule drugs, especially for those with poor water solubility.

Biological functions, mechanisms, and clinical significance of circular RNA in pancreatic cancer: a promising rising star.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly malignant solid tumor with insidious onset and easy early metastasis. Despite tremendous efforts devoted to research in this field, the mechanisms underlying PC tumorigenesis and progression remain unclear. Additionally, robust biomarkers and satisfactory therapeutic strategies for clinical use in PC patients are still lacking. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new type of non-coding RNA originating from precursor messenger RNAs, with a covalent continuous closed-loop structure, strong stability and high specificity. Accumulating evidence suggests that circRNAs may participate in PC development and progression. Abnormal expression of circRNAs in PC is considered a vital factor that affects tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, angiogenesis and drug resistance. In this review of relevant articles published in recent years, we describe the basic knowledge concerning circRNAs, including their classification, biogenesis, functions and research approaches. Moreover, the biological roles and clinical significance of circRNAs related to PC are discussed. Finally, we note the questions remaining from recent studies and anticipate that further investigations will address these gaps in knowledge in this field. In conclusion, we expect to provide insights into circRNAs as potential targets for specific PC diagnosis and treatment in the future.

The expression and clinical significance of CLIC1 and HSP27 in lung adenocarcinoma.

The purpose of this research was to study the roles of chloride intracellular channel protein 1 (CLIC1) and heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) in the clinical pathology of lung adenocarcinoma and to explore whether the expression of CLIC1 and HSP27 can be used as independent factors for the prediction of recurrence and prognosis after radical resection of lung adenocarcinoma. One hundred and three paraffin sections of lung adenocarcinoma tissues were collected, and the expression of CLIC1 and HSP27 was detected in these tumors using immunohistochemistry. The correlation of the expression of these two proteins with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis was statistically analyzed. In the 103 samples, the expression of HSP27 and CLIC1 was strongly positive in 61 (59.2%) and 49 cases (47.6%), respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the expression level of HSP27 did not significantly correlate with the patient's age, sex, degree of tumor differentiation, T staging of tumors, and TNM staging of tumors (p > 0.05), whereas the expression of CLIC1 did significantly correlate with T staging of tumors (p = 0.029). Univariate analysis indicated that the patient's ECOG score, T staging, N staging, TNM staging, and CLIC1 expression correlated with prognosis (p = 0.031, 0.001, 0.011, 0.013, and <0.001, respectively). Multivariate statistical analysis showed that age, T staging, and CLIC1 expression were independent associated factors for predicting the 5-year survival rate of patients (p = 0.026, 0.004, and <0.001, respectively). Age, T staging, and CLIC1 expression significantly correlated with the overall survival of post-operative lung adenocarcinoma patients. CLIC1 may be closely associated with the occurrence and development of lung adenocarcinoma and may be used as an effective marker for predicting the prognosis of this disease.

[Effect of inhaling specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor on lung injury induced by cardiopulmonary bypass].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of pretreatment by inhaling specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor on lung injury induced by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS: From April 2010 to November 2010, 30 patients were divided randomly into two groups: control group (n = 15) and milrinone group (n = 15). In milrinone group, 5 mg milrinone diluted by 5ml normal saline was inhaled per 8 h two days pre-operation. In control group, only 10 ml normal saline was inhaled. Blood samples were drawn from ulnar vein and radial artery pre-operation (T(0)), 30 min post-aortic unclamping (T(1)), at the end of operation (T(2)), 24 h, 72 h and 7 d post-operation (T(3)-T(5)). The following parameters were determined: TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha), IL-6 (interleukin-6), HSCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein), MDA (malondialdehyde), MPO (myeloperoxidase) level and leucocyte count ratio of venous and arterial blood. And the values of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and oxygenation index (OI) were measured through a Swan-Ganz catheter at the first 5 time points. RESULTS: PVR rose while OI declined at post-operation. But the range of above-mentioned indices in milrinone group was significantly smaller than that in control group. And the indices recovered much earlier in milrinone group. The levels of TNF-α, IL-6, HSCRP, MDA, MPO and leucocyte count ratio were not significantly different at T(0) between two groups and increased significantly after CPB in both groups. But the level of TNF-α (ng/L) was significantly lower at T(2), T(4), T(5) in milrinone group than that in control group (60 ± 5 vs 79 ± 7, 29 ± 6 vs 40 ± 8, 18 ± 5 vs 28 ± 7, all P < 0.05). The levels of IL-6 and MDA were significantly lower at T(1)-T(4) in milrinone group. The level of HSCRP became elevated post-operatively in both groups and reached its peak at 24 h post-operation, especially in control group. The level of MPO (µg/L) was significantly lower at T(2), T(3) and T(5) (134 ± 20 vs 190 ± 23, 142 ± 28 vs 178 ± 20, 65 ± 9 vs 75 ± 11, all P < 0.05). And the V/A ratio was significantly lower at T(1)-T(3) in milrinone group than in control group (1.12 ± 0.11 vs 1.37 ± 0.09, 1.07 ± 0.07 vs 1.25 ± 0.07, both P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Inhaled milrinone may protect the lungs from acute injury induced by CPB. Inhaling milrinone is safe and feasible for the prevention of acute CPB-induced injury.

A New High-Temperature Durable Absorber Material Solution through a Spinel-Type High Solar Absorptivity Coating on Ti2AlC MAX Phase Material.

Enhancing the operating temperature of concentrating solar power systems is a promising way to obtain higher system efficiency and thus enhance their competitiveness. One major barrier is the unavailability of suitable solar absorber materials for operation at higher temperatures. In this work, we report on a new high-temperature absorber material by combining Ti2AlC MAX phase material and iron-cobalt-chromite spinel coating/paint. This durable material solution exhibits excellent performance, passing the thermal stability test in an open-air environment at a temperature of 1250 °C for 400 h and at 1300 °C for 200 h. The results show that the black spinel coating can offer a stable high solar absorptivity in the range of 0.877-0.894 throughout the 600 h test under high temperatures. These solar absorptivity values are even 1.6-3.3% higher than that for the sintered SiC ceramic that is a widely used solar absorber material. Divergence of solar absorptivity during these relatively long testing periods is less than 1.1%, indicating remarkable stability of the absorber material. Furthermore, considering the simple application process of the coating/painting utilizing a brush followed by curing at relatively low temperatures (room temperature, 95 and 260 °C in sequence), this absorber material shows the potential for large-scale, high-temperature solar thermal applications.